c




c 
Michelle(Namrata)
Mireille (Samvedna)
 (emplacement)
‡ France is the biggest country in Western Europe. It
borders six other countries - from the north-east to
the south-east, it borders Belgium, Luxembourg,
Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. The south of
France borders with Spain. France has over
3200km of coastline, with rocky cliffs and sandy
beaches. In the north, the Channel Tunnel runs
under the English Channel, connecting France with
the UK. To the west is the Bay of Biscay, and the
south coast of France is on the Mediterranean Sea.
Major rivers include the Seine, the Loire, the
Garonne, and the Rhône.
 ·    „






‡ Towards the end of the third century BC, Paris was founded by a tribe of
Celtic Gauls known as the Parisii.
‡ In the fifth century AD the Romans were conquered by the Franks. Gaul
was united as a kingdom by the Frankish king Clovis I, and Paris was
named as its capital.
‡ France was heavily involved in the Crusades, but the wars it was constantly
fighting with neighbouring countries were expensive, and the French people
grew angry with the monarchy. In 1789 the French Revolution took place.
King Louis XVI was executed, and France became a republic.
‡ In the early 1800s the Emperor Napoleon took over, and led France to
invade several other countries, though these lands were lost again when the
French army suffered defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
‡ France suffered heavily during the First World War: over a million troops
were killed, industrial production dropped, and large areas of the country
were devastated. During the Second World War France was occupied by
Germany until it was liberated by Allied Forces in 1944.
     faits et chiffres)
‡  Western Europe, bordering Andorra 56.6 km, Belgium 620 km,
Germany 451 km,
Italy 488 km, Luxembourg 73 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Spain 623 km,
Switzerland 573 km
‡  Paris
‡  generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot
summers along
the Mediterranean; occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind
known as mistral
‡ c 60,424,213 (July 2004 est.)
‡  !" Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African,
Indochinese, Basque minorities
‡  Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim
5%-10%, unaffiliated
4%
‡ #$  republic
  
langues en France)
‡ ÷
 ,the official language, is the first language of 88% of the
population. Most of those who speak minority languages also speak
French, as the minority languages are given no legal recognition.
3% of the population speak German dialects, predominantly in the
eastern provinces of Alsace-Lorraine and Moselle. Flemish is
spoken by around 90,000 people in the northeast, which is 0.2% of
the French population. Around 1m people near the Italian border,
roughly 1.7% of the population, speaks Italian.
Basque is spoken by 0.1% and mainly along the French-Spanish
border.

   
la société et la culture)
‡ 
‡ . Food is one of the great passions of the French people.
. French cooking is highly refined and involves careful
preparation, attention to detail, and the use of fresh
ingredients.
. It varies by region and is heavily influenced by what is
grown locally.
  % les valeurs de la famille)
‡ The family is the social adhesive of the country and each
member has certain duties and responsibilities.
. The extended family provides both emotional and
financial support.
. Despite their reputation as romantics, the French have
a practical approach towards marriage.
. Families have few children, but parents take their role
as guardians and providers very seriously.
 " c& $' c $
‡ The French are private people and have different rules of
behaviour for people within their social circle and those
who are not.
. Although the French are generally polite in all dealings,
it is only with their close friends and family that they are
free to be themselves.
. Friendship brings with it a set of roles and
responsibilities, including being available should you be
needed. Friendship involves frequent, if not daily,
contact.
(  
 étiquettes et les coutumes )

‡  (

‡ The handshake is a common form of
greeting.
. Friends may greet each other by
lightly kissing on the cheeks, once on
the left cheek and once on the right
cheek.
. First names are reserved for family
and close friends. Wait until invited
before using someone's first name.
. You are expected to say )&* ) or
)& ) (good morning and good
evening) with the honorific title
  + when entering
a shop and ) $ ' (good-bye)
when leaving.
. If you live in an apartment building, it
is polite to greet your neighbours with
the same appellation.
#, #$ (
‡ Flowers should be given in odd
numbers but not 13, which is
considered unlucky.
. Some older French retain old-style
prohibitions against receiving certain
flowers: White lilies or
chrysanthemums as they are used at
funerals; red carnations as they
symbolize bad will; any white flowers
as they are used at weddings.
. Prohibitions about flowers are not
generally followed by the young. When
in doubt, it is always best to err on the
side of conservatism.
. If you give wine, make sure it is of the
highest quality you can afford. The
French appreciate their wines.
. Gifts are usually opened when
received.
È (
‡ If you are invited to a French
house for dinner:
. Arrive on time. Under no
circumstances should you arrive
more than 10 minutes later than
invited without telephoning to
explain you have been detained.
. The further south you go in the
country, the more flexible time is.
. If invited to a large dinner party,
especially in Paris, send flowers
the morning of the occasion so
that they may be displayed that
evening.
. Dress well. The French are
fashion conscious and their
version of casual is not as relaxed
as in many western countries.
°&  
‡ Table manners are Continental -- the
fork is held in the left hand and the
knife in the right while eating.
. If there is a seating plan, you may be
directed to a particular seat.
. Do not begin eating until the hostess
says 'bon appetit'.
. If you have not finished eating, cross
your knife and fork on your plate with
the fork over the knife.
. Do not rest your elbows on the table,
although your hands should be visible
and not in your lap.
. Finish everything on your plate.
. Do not cut salad with a knife and fork.
Fold the lettuce on to your fork.
. Peel and slice fruit before eating it.
. Leave your wineglass nearly full if
you do not want more.
   
‡ Meals are eaten much slower
‡ People are not worried about being
late
‡ They don¶t follow rules very strictly
‡ Much of their free time is spent at
outdoor cafés talking with friends


· -
‡ Their manner of dress is simple and
less elaborate than our own
‡ Always have a different eloquence to
them that we generally don¶t have
   
· °°

‡ Much is in shapes of stars, especially the streets
surrounding the Arc de Triomphe in Paris
‡ Filled with Gothic style cathedrals such as St.
Sernin and Chartres Cathedral
° -È



‡ Sculpture, impressionism, and realism were most prominent

‡ Musee D¶Orsee, Le Louvre, Chateau de Versailles

cc
 
°

‡ Much of their music is American songs
‡ Movies are a large part of French culture
‡ Many American movies are shown in France in
their original version, with subtitles
M



‡ Wine-( du vin) France is the second largest producer in the world.
Popular vineyards in Burgundy and Bordeaux, the Mediterranean
coast, and the Loire Valley. The Champagne region is famous for the
sparkling white wine. Although similar wines are produced in other
parts of France, it is against the law to call them Champagne.
‡ Bread-( du pain)Eaten with most meals bread is a staple food in
France. Baguettes are most popular and is long crusty bread bought
fresh every day from the boulangerie or local bakery. Stale bread is
often used to make Pain Perdu a sweet eggy bread.
‡ Cheese (fromage) France produces more than 365 varieties of
cheese ± at least one for every day of the year. It comes in all smells,
tastes and sizes. „











MERCI